Loveland is upgrading the parking, lodge and beginner facilities down at the Valley this summer! A whole new wing of the lodge will be constructed to house a new kids center and a new bar. The trail pod on chair 3 is also getting some upgrades adding 3 new beginner trails from the mid station and completely regrading the beginner run Zig Zag to make it wider and have a more even grade. These changes have been in the works for a long time and are sorely needed!
I was picking up my Loveland season pass and talking to one of the reps. We were discussing the Loveland Valley lodge and parking expansion plus the Dry Gulch cat tours which start this year. The lodge should be done in February 2022, parking next summer, but the most interesting thing he mentioned was potentially a new lift in the Valley area. Loveland’s SUP does encompass a decent amount of terrain east of Lift 3.
My thoughts on what additional lifts in Loveland Valley are detailed below.
– New connector runs to the expanded parking lot and Lift 11. (Parking expansion scope: https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/www/nepa/113556_FSPLT3_5639071.pdf)
– New Lift 11 starting where the new parking expansion ends. The lift would serve mainly intermediate terrain with some small stretches of advanced terrain. It would serve about 80 acres and 750 vertical feet as a fixed grip quad. This seems really reasonable as it fits within the current boundary and adds some great intermediate terrain that fits within the Valley’s niche.
– New Lift 12 that would serve advanced and expert terrain above Lift 11. This would require a SUP boundary increase and the lift would serve the peak right below Sniktau. This would add about 120 acres and the lift would serve about 1500 vertical feet if the bottom of the lift starts above the Bakerville to Loveland Trail. A fixed grip quad would make the most sense based on the type of terrain served and Loveland’s visitation numbers. I am unsure how snow retention is on the top of the peak and the required boundary adjustment may make this significantly harder to implement.
– Here is a link to my lift and trail layouts. For reference I identified runs based on Caltopo’s gradient and by referencing the Loveland’s master plan. Green = green runs, blue = blue runs, purple = black runs, and gray = double black runs. https://caltopo.com/m/ELRL
Would love to see some trail/lift development east of the current Valley base. According to the masterplan however, Lift 11 is a beginner chair located above lift 7.
I noticed the new lift 6 no longer shares a tower with lift 2 at the cross under. Looks like first few towers on 6 are spaced closer together, could this be in anticipation of lift 2s seasons being numbered? I would love to see it replaced with HSQ restored to its original length, no mid station would be needed. Ptarmigan could be relocated to create lift 10 (above lift 8). Still hoping for restored lift service between Basin and valley also, especially if more terrain opens at the valley.
Loveland quietly posted an updated master plan with their Dry Gulch Snowcat Tours on the FS USDA website that is not the same as what is on their webpage. See the supporting folder here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54196
In this master plan (Figure 12) they have Lift 2 being realigned and upgraded to HSQ that starts at the base and ends in the flats in Forest Meadows. They would also create another on-mountain restaurant there. I think Ptarmigan is fine as no one really wants to ski the terrain where Lift 2 is anyway unless you are a true beginner. I think this realigned Lift 2 would be better as it would give beginners 500ish vertical and would still enable everyone to access all the current upper mountain lifts nearby (I wish Lift 9 was accessible without taking Ptarmigan or Lift 4…).
I could see Loveland adding another lift and opening more terrain in the Valley especially with the new Valley Lodge. I could see a lift east of the current terrain where they are supposed to expand parking. It would mainly be intermediate terrain.
Thank you for sending that link, many great plans there. The revised plan for lift 2 looks good, I couldn’t quite picture forest meadows but now know exactly where that is now. I have been stuck in the flats on my board decending from Catwalk trees in that area. Definitely plenty of room for a lodge and detachable lift terminal there and that might separate the beginners from the advanced skiers trying to go to lift 4 or lift 1 also. That mid section of loveland (bottom of 6, 2B, and 4 has always had heavy traffic with wide variety of ability levels all on the same run. I am looking most forward to lift 10 and still trying to stay young enough to enjoy it. Good to see restoration of 5 still on the plan and good additions at the Valley for beginners. Hopefully they may consider a FGQ replacement for lift 7 when they extend it or at least triple, seems like triples and quads are a little easier to deal with for ski school. If they decide somewhere along the way to upgrade 2B (Ptarmagin) to HSQ, the lift could likely be relocated to create 10,11 or 7…Exciting times ahead and with the crowding issues at many of the other Colorado resorts, Loveland already has and will continue to evolve into a very legit mountain where the skiing and snowboarding is still fun.
Lift Blog 
You left out the old chair 4 in the removed lifts.
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Peter, chair 2 still has its old length and vertical rise entered.
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Fixed, thanks. If anyone knows the new length and vertical, feel free to comment or email me at Peter@liftblog.com
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It’s about 3,000 feet long now, with a vertical rise of just 500 feet.
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I believe chair 5 is not operating, correct? not on this year’s trail map
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Chair 5 does not operate any more they shuttle the people on buses now
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This summer, Loveland is retrofitting bars onto all of their lifts. They will not have footrests.
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All of the LPA lifts. Still none on 6.
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There used to be a Constam T-bar; it was replaced by lift 6 in 1977.
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I think you are right. It appears on this 1967 map that there is a t-bar where lift 6 was. Looks like it was shorter though.
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Was this the lift you’re talking about?
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8333/R1707.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8327/R1701.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8328/R1702.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8337/R1711.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8332/R1706.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8334/R1708.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8339/R1713.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8341/R1715.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8340/R1714.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
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Loveland is upgrading the parking, lodge and beginner facilities down at the Valley this summer! A whole new wing of the lodge will be constructed to house a new kids center and a new bar. The trail pod on chair 3 is also getting some upgrades adding 3 new beginner trails from the mid station and completely regrading the beginner run Zig Zag to make it wider and have a more even grade. These changes have been in the works for a long time and are sorely needed!
https://www.summitdaily.com/sports/winter-sports/loveland-ski-area-gets-initial-thumbs-up-to-expand-beginner-terrain-add-parking/
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If Lift 10 were to be ever built would it be higher than Imperial Express at Breckenridge?
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Yes, but only barely. In their master plan, they say Lift 10 would top out at 12,900; whereas the Imperial Express only gets to 12,840.
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I was under the impression lift 10 had already been built- they just call it Ptarmigan.
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I was picking up my Loveland season pass and talking to one of the reps. We were discussing the Loveland Valley lodge and parking expansion plus the Dry Gulch cat tours which start this year. The lodge should be done in February 2022, parking next summer, but the most interesting thing he mentioned was potentially a new lift in the Valley area. Loveland’s SUP does encompass a decent amount of terrain east of Lift 3.
My thoughts on what additional lifts in Loveland Valley are detailed below.
– New connector runs to the expanded parking lot and Lift 11. (Parking expansion scope: https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfs/11558/www/nepa/113556_FSPLT3_5639071.pdf)
– New Lift 11 starting where the new parking expansion ends. The lift would serve mainly intermediate terrain with some small stretches of advanced terrain. It would serve about 80 acres and 750 vertical feet as a fixed grip quad. This seems really reasonable as it fits within the current boundary and adds some great intermediate terrain that fits within the Valley’s niche.
– New Lift 12 that would serve advanced and expert terrain above Lift 11. This would require a SUP boundary increase and the lift would serve the peak right below Sniktau. This would add about 120 acres and the lift would serve about 1500 vertical feet if the bottom of the lift starts above the Bakerville to Loveland Trail. A fixed grip quad would make the most sense based on the type of terrain served and Loveland’s visitation numbers. I am unsure how snow retention is on the top of the peak and the required boundary adjustment may make this significantly harder to implement.
– Here is a link to my lift and trail layouts. For reference I identified runs based on Caltopo’s gradient and by referencing the Loveland’s master plan. Green = green runs, blue = blue runs, purple = black runs, and gray = double black runs. https://caltopo.com/m/ELRL
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Would love to see some trail/lift development east of the current Valley base. According to the masterplan however, Lift 11 is a beginner chair located above lift 7.
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I found these photos on the Colorado School of Mines website. I assume they are of the same lift:
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8043/R2239.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8039/R2235.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/11124/8041/R2237.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Does anyone know which lift this was, and specifically where the chairs came from? They look a bit like Heron-Poma. An older Heron design perhaps?
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That’s Lift 2.
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My counterparts turned the old drive terminal into their shop when the current Lift 2 was built.
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I noticed the new lift 6 no longer shares a tower with lift 2 at the cross under. Looks like first few towers on 6 are spaced closer together, could this be in anticipation of lift 2s seasons being numbered? I would love to see it replaced with HSQ restored to its original length, no mid station would be needed. Ptarmigan could be relocated to create lift 10 (above lift 8). Still hoping for restored lift service between Basin and valley also, especially if more terrain opens at the valley.
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Loveland quietly posted an updated master plan with their Dry Gulch Snowcat Tours on the FS USDA website that is not the same as what is on their webpage. See the supporting folder here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54196
In this master plan (Figure 12) they have Lift 2 being realigned and upgraded to HSQ that starts at the base and ends in the flats in Forest Meadows. They would also create another on-mountain restaurant there. I think Ptarmigan is fine as no one really wants to ski the terrain where Lift 2 is anyway unless you are a true beginner. I think this realigned Lift 2 would be better as it would give beginners 500ish vertical and would still enable everyone to access all the current upper mountain lifts nearby (I wish Lift 9 was accessible without taking Ptarmigan or Lift 4…).
I could see Loveland adding another lift and opening more terrain in the Valley especially with the new Valley Lodge. I could see a lift east of the current terrain where they are supposed to expand parking. It would mainly be intermediate terrain.
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Thank you for sending that link, many great plans there. The revised plan for lift 2 looks good, I couldn’t quite picture forest meadows but now know exactly where that is now. I have been stuck in the flats on my board decending from Catwalk trees in that area. Definitely plenty of room for a lodge and detachable lift terminal there and that might separate the beginners from the advanced skiers trying to go to lift 4 or lift 1 also. That mid section of loveland (bottom of 6, 2B, and 4 has always had heavy traffic with wide variety of ability levels all on the same run. I am looking most forward to lift 10 and still trying to stay young enough to enjoy it. Good to see restoration of 5 still on the plan and good additions at the Valley for beginners. Hopefully they may consider a FGQ replacement for lift 7 when they extend it or at least triple, seems like triples and quads are a little easier to deal with for ski school. If they decide somewhere along the way to upgrade 2B (Ptarmagin) to HSQ, the lift could likely be relocated to create 10,11 or 7…Exciting times ahead and with the crowding issues at many of the other Colorado resorts, Loveland already has and will continue to evolve into a very legit mountain where the skiing and snowboarding is still fun.
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Just found a recent article about Loveland Ski Patrollers forming a union. I wish them success and good outcomes.
https://kdvr.com/news/local/loveland-ski-patrollers-form-union-for-first-time-ever/
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The spreadsheet says that lift 5 was removed but I drove past the resort today on my way to copper and the lift is still there just not running.
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